This invention relates to electrical cable termination and a method of connecting a power connector to a power cable.
In oil field operations it is common practice to produce oil from wells by down hole pumps that are activated by electric motors adjacent the bottom of the well. Such motors are supplied with electric power by cables that extend downwardly in the wells from the ground surface, and the cables having terminations that are removably, connected to the motors. Several different cable connectors have been designed to endure the hostile conditions associated with the bottom of an oil well.
Some lower cable connectors comprise a molded pigtail which is made by vulcanizing a piece of cable directly to the connector. The pigtail is then spliced to the pump cable. This type of connector is prepared in the factory and used in the field to splice the new connector to the cable. Because the cable piece is vulcanized to the connector there are temperature limitations on the vulcanization process. A lower connector having a pre-molded insulated piece that can be vulcanized at higher temperatures using higher quality materials and attached directly to a cable, would be highly desirable.
A lower connector having a pre-molded insulated piece as described provides other advantages in addition to the higher quality materials used. The lower connector and inserts can be sold together as a kit to be sold by cable repair companies. The cables can then be repaired on site easily and quickly with a lower chance of failure.